Kelli – The Owner & COO of 3 Boys and a Dog!
Hi! I, Kelli, live in a small town on the coast of Southern Alabama, just south of Mobile, AL with my husband (Ricky) of almost 22 years, our FIVE wild and wonderfully different guys, and 5 totally spoiled doggies! (yes, we have grown a ton since this domain name was bought way back in like 2006)
Tripp will turn 22 in November and is lovingly referred to as our Computer Geek. He owns a blog called, “A Dose of Nascar… as told by a 9 year old racing fan” and has received quite a bit of fame from it (too bad he doesn’t update it anymore). In addition to being contacted by our local news station, he has also been interviewed by “Racing News Digest.” Tripp was home schooled for 3 1/2 years due to his disabilities. Tripp is Gifted and is also on the Autism Spectrum. Throw ADD and OCD (gets them honestly) in the mix and you have my wonderful little boy! In the Fall of 2011, he decided he wanted to attend the local Middle School and he is doing very well there. I miss having him home and learning new things with him, but I always have summer to look forward to. In 2012 against all odds, Tripp survived the 40+ boy cut to be on the Grand Bay Middle School Football Team! Go Tripp!!
Zack turned 19 in April. This kid has used hair gel for three years, puts on cologne every day, owns a gold chain, and only wears button up shirts to go somewhere… unless, of course, he goes down the road to visit his friends. Then, he goes shirtless to show off his “muscles.” Consequently, we call him Joe Cool. 😉 Zachary takes Jazz, Hip Hop, and Acrobatics at the local Gym and hopes to add Hip Hop to the mix this year!
Tank is our baby. He turns 15 at the end of August. He idolizes his brothers and follows them everywhere they go – much to their irritation and our amusement. We consider him the Class Clown, because he loves attention and will do most anything to get it. Tank was named by his brothers – his name is Thomas Henry after Thomas the blue engine and Henry the green one. 🙂 That’s why we call him Tank, after Thomas the Tank Engine. 🙂 Thomas is also into Acrobatics and Hip Hop this year and thinks my mother’s 17 year old Dutch exchange student is his girlfriend LOL!
Ricky is a Special Education Teacher and Varsity Baseball Coach at our local high school. He also coaches football at our local middle school. All of those jobs keep him busy, but when he gets a bit of free-time he makes model cars. You can find him running and pumping iron most evenings or dedoing my home and pinning the results onto Pinterest.
Annie is short for Little Orphan Annie. She was found at the Mississippi/Alabama state line after Hurricane Katrina. Annie and several of her puppy siblings were only a couple weeks old, motherless, and homeless. My Father-In-Law picked her out of the bunch and told us to come get her. 🙂 Of course, he told us he had a Chihuahua for us… turns out he was wrong (or at least partially… she has Chihuahua IN her). LOL! I love dogs and Annie, although I think I like her least of all five of us. She, on the other hand, thinks the sun rises and sets with me. 🙂 Good thing for her I am a softy. 😀
I am an avid reader and enjoy all things crafty like: scrapbooking, jewelry making, knitting, cross-stitching, baking, cooking, and dollhouse miniatures. I have always been a writer, so blogging just comes naturally to me. I post an average of 2 posts a day and typically have several giveaways running. Ok, I admit it… I am addicted to the internet. I have a list of over 100 sites (blogs, forums, & groups) that I visit randomly. I also frequent Stumble, Technorati, Twitter, and FaceBook.
My family has many varied interests that keep us busy at all times. We spend tons of time in the outdoors, but have to come in when it rains. In the summer, you can find us in our pool during the hottest times of the day. We also visit parks, beaches, and family regularly.
I love doing reviews and my family really likes trying new things. So far, I don’t really have a “favorite thing to review.” I have a varied audience of moms, homeschoolers, single women, and organizers and I try to review items that work for all of those groups. I am not a Chef, I am not a Dietitian, I am not educated in the Culinary Arts. I don’t have to be, I am a True Southern Woman raising 3 healthy Boys and loving one great Man! I grew up on true Southern Food and carried that into my Marriage. I was taught the healing and “man catching” power of food from a pretty young age. I can remember being around 9 or 10 and giving my Grandpaw a meatloaf for his Birthday. LOL!
My Husband’s family does lots of Tex Mex type cooking and it has found it’s way into lots of my dishes. I have also (thanks to trying new things via my main site 3 Boys and a Dog) gotten a bit more adventurous.
My recipes are tried and true. I call them Kid Friendly because my boys love them. If they don’t approve, they don’t make it on this site. I also call them Mom Approved because they are EASY, usually on the cheap side, and although not considered “healthy” in the “new” sense, they are healthier than another Southern Chef who will remain unnamed at this time. I “deep fry” very few items. I use Olive Oil and sprays way more often than Lard! I like to sneak in veggies that the kids won’t notice. So, while my calorie counts are higher than Minnie’s, they aren’t going to make you Diabetic!
3 Boys and a Dog has grown so much since its first launch in November 2006 that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everything without the help of some amazing writers:
Meet Minnie:
I have a “friend” that is trying to eat healthier. She doesn’t actually “count” calories, but she sticks to things that are lower in calories. Her hobby these days is to try to redo regular recipes into lower calorie ones. I told her to start taking pictures and tell me what she did to make them healthier. THEN, after she sends me several yummy sounding recipes with fabulous pictures and wonderful back stories, she tells me she doesn’t want her name on the blog. So, she will be referred to as “Minnie” (like, Skinny Minnie). So, if you see a recipe from Minnie, you will know that it is a much healthier recipe than the ones from Kelli (me)! Just think of her as my alter-ego!